


“is this the real life? is this just fantasy?”

by orphan_account



Series: jimon drabbles (ᵔᴥᵔ) [1]
Category: Shadowhunters TV
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Neighbours AU, clary and simon are bffs still, jimon, just fluff, showering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 06:26:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11753952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: ↳ jimon + ‘we’ve never met but we shower at the same time and our showers are on opposite sides of the same apartment wall so sometimes we start duets?’





	“is this the real life? is this just fantasy?”

Simon and Clary sing along loudly to the final song of High School Musical 1— Simon does Gabriella’s parts because Troy’s parts are just … lame. Grabiella is the climax, after all. 

Clary happily does Troy’s parts, she knows both parts by heart anyway, and they’re honestly having the time of their lives. 

Simon’s about to put the second movie of the legendary trilogy in the DVD player—his broke student ass can’t afford to pay for Netflix each month—when Clary gasps. “It’s three a.m, Si. Crap.” she hurriedly gathers her belongings and wipes the popcorn off her t–shirt. 

“What’s wrong with it being three?” Simon watches her awkwardly balance her weight on one leg as she attempts to put on her shoe. 

“Well, apart from that it’s way too late, I have class at eight tomorrow. Fuck.” She throws her jacket over her shoulders and blows her friend a kiss before leaving his small, crappy apartment. 

Simon sighs and gets up from the couch. Though he must admit he, too, should probably get some sleep, he’s not gonna leave the cleaning for next morning. 

He throws the blanket off the couch, vacuums the lone popcorn pieces on the floor and dumps the empty bowls in the sink. 

It’s 3:30 when he finally finishes and he knows he should go to bed, he has morning classes, too, but he can’t go to sleep without having taken a shower. He hates how most college kids these days have horrible hygiene.

He undresses quickly, tossing his clothes on his bed and jumps into the relaxing heat of his shower. 

Everyone knows that showers are meant for contemplation and Simon is not one to miss out on traditions: he’s glad Clary and him still get to spend time together like this. They’re both majoring in different things and certainly have different hobbies, and now that Clary has made some new friends, it’s been even more difficult to find time for each other.

He’s also glad that her dorky side still exists after knowing each other for so long.

Thinking back to the movie, he starts mumbling the words to _Breaking Free_ but when he nears the chorus— he’s full on giving a concert.

When he’s finally reached the chorus and yells, “Strength to believe …”, he nearly slips and breaks his neck because on the opposite side of the wall, a voice starts yelling, “We’re breaking free!” 

This goes on for weeks.

Simon thinks he’s in love.

It seems that every Thursday, his neighbour has a semi–night shift of some sorts and comes home at 3, and then showers at 3:30. Clary makes it their goal to have finished the movies at 3, so she can be home at ‘a decent time’. 

So, every Thursday night, Simon and his neighbour share a duet. Or two. Or five. It depends.

Simon decides on the songs, of course, but he tries to keep them mostly mainstream— he doesn’t know exactly what music his duet partner listens to and doesn’t want to embarrass him. Or _himself_.

They’ve sung a few High School Musical ones, from all three of them, The Weeknd, Disney and even some Justin Bieber here and there.

Tonight, however, Simon decides to throw in a whole different genre, just to shake things up. 

Simon starts off easy— and quietly, some other neighbours have complained— and stands against the tiled wall. He knows his neighbour will hear him better this way. “Is this the real life?” 

He doesn’t hear anything for a few seconds and he nearly wants to break down the wall because who doesn’t know Bohemian Rhapsody!? But then he hears it. 

“Is this just fantasy?” 

“Yes, dude! Yes!” Simon yells triumphantly.

“That’s not part of the song,” he hears. Simon laughs.

“Sorry, sorry.” Simon smiles brightly to himself. He has no idea who his neighbour is, just knows that it’s a bloke, and he’s way too scared to knock his door and say, for example, ‘Hi, yes, it’s me, Simon Lewis, your duet partner and hopefully romantic partner for the rest of your life. Dinner?’

Simon skips the whole first part of the song and sings, “I see a little silhouetto of a man.” 

He hears a groan coming from the other side, “You skipped my favorite part!” 

“Well, this is mine,” Simon says smugly in response.

“Barbaric,” the guy says before continuing where Simon left off. 

“Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening me!” Simon continues.

“Galileo!”  
“Galileo!”  
“Galileo!”  
“Galileo!”  
“Galileo figaro!” 

They’re both a laughing mess after that and he hears the water stop in the other apartment. “Good night,” the guy says.

And Simon is too scared to ask for a name.

 

On Thursday next week, Clary tells Simon to get snacks and so he does. He drives to the nearest Wallgreens and snoops around in their snack isle. He knows Clary likes her salt popcorn, but he wants something different this time. 

As he’s thinking of what to get, he’s softly singing the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody under his breath. A smile plays on his lips thinking of his neighbour and how stupid he is for not asking him for his name when there’s suddenly a blonde dude in front of him. 

He’s wearing his golden hair in a manbun and his Wallgreens shirt is at least one size too small, but Simon really doesn’t mind. The man is gorgeous. 

The guy looks Simon up and down and it’s very awkward. Simon doesn’t really know what to say and neither does the blonde dude who has _JACE_ written on his badge. 

Simon is ready to mutter a ‘no I don’t need any help’ when the guy, Jace, coughs into his hand and with a tiny voice says, “… Neighbour?” 

Simon thinks he might explode. “Oh, my God. Um. Room 30B?” 

“30A?” Simon nods slowly.

Both boys break out into a smile and Simon doesn’t know what to do. Again. Should they shake hands? Do I hug him? Do I _kiss_ him? Oh, my God.

Luckily, Jace makes the first move. “I’m Jace.” 

“Lewis. Uh, Simon Lewis. I don’t know why I said that.”

“Well, Simon Lewis, you have an amazing voice. Instead of singing in the shower, why don’t you come over instead? Tomorrow? At seven?” 

Simon smiles and leans forward, not into Jace’s personal space but enough so Jace is the only one to hear it. “Is this the real life?”


End file.
